Just Daddy and Reid

I love pictures like this that aren't posed! Reid had just woke up from his nap and was spending some cuddle time with Daddy. I had to grab the camera!

A Small Taste

Earlier this afternoon Aaron and I went to run an errand with the boys and then headed to a Chinese Buffet for lunch. Upon arriving there, our waitress greeted both boys with little touches and gave Landon a few high-fives. About 5 minutes into our meal, she came back with 2 wrapped fortune cookies in her hand. She gave one to Landon and then headed over to Reid who was still in his carseat next to Aaron. Reid was sitting there happily chewing on a toy when the waitress yanked the toy out of his mouth and replaced it with the fortune cookie. Of course it didn't bother Reid one bit because as long as it makes noise and he can put it in his mouth, he's happy! All I could think about was how this must be what my sister deals with on a much higher scale and a more regular basis. She constantly has stories of people in Jordan giving things to Caedmon without her permission. Of course, sometimes she does have to say no...like the time someone offered little 3 week old Caedmon some hot tea! Lauren's latest post gives an example of this very thing.

Surprisingly, the fortune cookie incident didn't bother me too much. It's probably because I felt I didn't have room to complain and I could only think of Lauren. I know it's purely cultural reasons that cause people to act in this manner. But I'm sure it could become a little more bothersome on a daily basis.

The Bumbo

When I went to purchase this wonderful item that I had been told was a "must" for any new mom soon after Landon was born, I could not find it anywhere. It had been pulled from the shelves due to a recall. Apparently someone had placed their child in the bumbo and then on a tabletop where they fell off and were injured. The remedy? A sticker was placed on the Bumbos that stated, “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface.” They were then placed back on the shelves.

Although children being injured is certainly no laughing matter, I still find the recall and the "solution" a bit humorous. I wonder if the following pictures would give the Consumer Product Safety Commision a reason to produce new stickers...

I love the Bumbo. It's there to hold up my children when I can't!

Hush Little Baby

Don't say a word, Mama's gonna take your picture. I don't know if it's because sleeping babies are so cute, or if I'm just wierd, but I'm a sucker for a picture of my boys catchin' some zzz's! I didn't realize this until the other day as I was looking through some pictures on the computer and saw that I had a lot of my kids sleeping. I've also noticed that as I'm heading to bed and go make my last round to check on them (yes, sometimes there are multiple checks) about half the time I go back in there with my camera thinking I'm about to capture the cutest little sleeping position they've ever been in. But then, the next night comes. Is it just me? My question when I was taking this picture was, "How in the world did Elmo get on top of Landon's back?"

The Ever-Changing Blog

Please pardon my constantly changing blog. Over the last couple of weeks I've been learning how to create my own backgrounds, headers, etc. with the help of my friend Cindy and my wonderfully knowledgeable father! It has cost me a few hours of sleep as I get on a roll playing around with everything, but I've really enjoyed it! I even overheard my father saying that he had created a monster! Didn't he know that 30 years ago?

Dear God,

It's me, Landon. I was wondering if I could ask a tiny favor? If possible, could you provide us with a few warmer days? Mommy and Daddy are running out of ideas for keeping us boys entertained inside. Our favorite place to play is outside and it's been a while since we've been able to do that. We thank you for the winter season and we were so excited to see snow! But, it's Texas....so we're not used to all this! I mean, our house is big and all, but we need more space to get our wiggles out. More than anything, I just want Mommy to stay the same....wait....I think I meant sane! Mommy tried to bundle us up and take us out yesterday, but before we knew it, Reid started crying and we had to go in. P.S. Was he really necessary? I mean, he is cute, but I thought I was handling things just fine on my own. I'll keep my eye out for a new home for him and tell me if you know of someone who needs a little brother. Thanks!

So, I thought it would be cute to capture Reid's little feet in the foreground which read "bear hugs", and have him smiling in the background, but all he was interested in doing was "reading" the mail so it didn't really work out as planned. And my favorite part of these pictures (which I didn't notice until later) is Landon, who has run off with a piece of mail, playing in the flower beds.

Landon's bubble-blowin' faces...

Confessions of a First Time Parent

Have you ever done something as a parent that you're slightly embarrassed about, but you decide to post it on your public blog anyway? Although this doesn't beat Cassi's confession, remember THIS post, particularly the part about the big-boy bed? Well, the main reason we got a twin bed was because it was going to cost us almost $100 for the "kit" to turn Landon's crib into a toddler bed. We thought this would be a ridiculous waste of money. We assumed that he would be in a twin bed for several years anyway and just thought we would go ahead and spend the money for something we would use long term. A few days after the twin bed went up, Aaron went to disassemble the crib to put it in storage. He started by taking the front panel off. This left us both staring in disbelief and thinking out loud, "Why in the world didn't we just do this?" So, we decided to put the twin bed in storage and use it in a couple of years and for now let Landon use his new "toddler bed" (AKA...his crib minus the front panel plus a $20 bed rail from Walmart). This bed is a better fit for our little Landon anyways! We've also added a few new things to his big boy room!

I've really enjoyed searching for knick-knacks for his sports-themed room (even though based on his current physique I'm not sure a lot of sports will be in his future). I think it goes back to the idea that our house is where I work, so I enjoy spending time (and maybe a little extra money) in making it a fun place for me and the boys to be ALL DAY LONG! (Spring can't get here fast enough!) I feel like this is a never-ending hobby as I always find new things to change or add somewhere in the house! Thankfully, I have a very patient hubby who doesn't complain, but just smiles and nods! Thanks, Honey! :)

Thank You

To my 6 month old and my 2 year old.

Thank You...

Landon & Reid, for realizing that your mom and dad aren't in the best shape of their lives and turning our house into a constant obstacle course of toys, books, bouncers, jumpers, highchairs, etc.

Landon, for recognizing that mommy and daddy's garden tub was WAY more space than they could ever use, and making it your very own, bath toy chest.
Reid, for replacing mommy's fresh and fruity bath and body works spray with a much more expensive, and "sure to catch everyone's attention" fragrance. It's called Nutramigen, made by Enfamil. The true smell of this fragrance is much more pungent once regurgitated. Feel free to stop by the McGrew house for a free sample!

Landon, for leaving your mark in purple crayon on the playroom table, the wall and, yes, even the fish tank!

Reid, for showing us that hand-me-downs are overrated, growing at a much faster pace than your brother, ensuring that you would not fit into all his old clothes during the appropriate season, and making sure we stay on top of infant fashion by having to purchase MANY new clothes for you! But boy are you in style!
Landon & Reid, for allowing me to adorn my nightstand with not one, but TWO, reminders that a Mom's job is never done at the end of the day. Many sleepless hours are spent playing a game with myself trying to figure out which of you just coughed, sneezed or made a funny noise. No, really, I would much rather being doing this than sleeping! :)

Landon & Reid, for showing me the joys of motherhood and giving me the pleasure of watching you change and grow everyday.

Boogie Down

The McGrews have definitely been giving our kleenex a reason to dance! We've been putting A LOT of boogies into them! As I've mentioned before, everyone in my family including the Thompsons, my mom, dad and all four McGrew crew members have been sick these last few days. Even MiMi and Grandy are sick! Has it hit your house yet? Thankfully, no one has been diagnosed with anything too serious, but our house has seen it all; fever, snot, coughing, snot, sneezing, fussiness, snot, achiness, and did I mention snot? Our poor boys wake up with snot encrusted faces after naps and in the morning. We've definitely used our fair share of kleenex and boogie wipes. Aaron has had a few days off work to recover so we've spent a lot of time at home together doing things around the house, playing our new wii resort game, and snuggling with our boys. Two things that are helping us get through these cold, rough evenings are warm fires and homemade chicken and dumplings. Y.U.M. Hopefully this crud will make its way out the McGrew door soon. But for now, we're enjoying the soothing effects of extra cuddles, PJ's all day, naps, and a little tylenol and sudafed! Hoping your family stays healthy!

The boys at the doctor's office waiting to be seen! Don't they look excited? Is it just me, or does Reid appear to be at the beginning stages of a Landon-Hairdo?
Thankfully, even while sick, Reid has still been a pretty happy baby!

Landon can be a little more fussy than his brother when he's not feeling well. But who can blame him? Normally, he DESPISES being covered up with a blanket at night, but this is how we found him this morning!

إلى اللقاء (Good-Bye)

Today is our last day to spend with Matt, Lauren, Caedmon (and Camille). We knew that this day would come way too quickly but we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute we've had to spend with them. It's a very bittersweet goodbye for us as we miss them desperately when they are not here, but we know that they are doing exactly what God has called them to do. Unfortunately, most everyone in the family is sick today so we probably won't be taking many pictures. Please pray for the Thompsons as they travel over the next couple of days. Lauren is sick and 20 weeks pregnant and Caedmon is also sick. This can't be the most comfortable time to be stuck on a plane. Also pray for a quick transition back into normal life once they get home. Thankfully, my brother Jeff will be there to welcome them! We are already counting down the days until they will return....with an extra little Thompson in tow!

One last family picture...even with Jeff (thanks to SKYPE)! Keep in mind that half the people here are running fever and most of us are not feeling well at all! At least we were all in good company and didn't have to worry about sharing germs....we'd already done that!

One of the boys favorite things to do is take their baths together before bed. This was their last bath at the McGrew house on Saturday night.
The boys made a banner this morning.

The New Year Brings BIG Things!

One thing that 2010 will NOT bring is a new McGrew child...at least not if I have anything to say about it! I was looking back and noticed that my first post of 2009 announced our pregnancy with Reid. As exciting as this past year has been welcoming our second boy into the family, we will be waiting a little bit longer to think about #3!

One thing that the new year has brought to our house though, is a new BIG BOY bed! Landon has gone straight from a crib to a twin bed. He has done EXCELLENT with this transition! Based on Landon's wonderful sleeping habits, we knew that this would come fairly easy for him. Even though he is capable of getting in and out on his own now, he stays put when we lay him in the bed and so far, he hasn't gotten out in the morning until we go in his room. My mom tells me I did the same thing! But, I'm sure one day soon he'll realize there are no more "invisible" bars and he will recognize his new freedom.

Hopefully, the next BIG thing to come our way this year will be BIG BOY underwear. And I mean wearing them for real....not just for a cute picture! :)

And, finally, to continue on the path of becoming a BIG BOY, Landon needs to say "good-bye" to his paci. He only uses it at nap and bedtime, but we're in need of some suggestions for this!! Got any?

Caedmon wishes everyone a Happy New Year!!!